Vehicle automation has been suggested as a solution to this pressing issue almost as long as cars have been in existence—experiments on autonomy in cars have been conducted since at least the 1920s. Only recently, though, has computer technology advanced enough to make true vehicle automation possible.
In addition to improving safety while driving, autonomous vehicles also have the ability to free up substantial amounts of time for vehicle drivers; enabling would-be drivers to utilize their time more efficiently. Still, autonomous vehicles as implemented or designed today are serviced in essentially the same manner as their non-autonomous counterparts, which means that someone (e.g., a vehicle owner) must spend time taking them to be serviced. Likewise, the timing of this servicing may take autonomous vehicles out of commission when they are most needed. These, in turn, put an upper limit on the degree to which autonomous vehicle users or owners can experience the time-saving benefits of autonomous vehicles.
Thus, there is a need in the vehicle automation field to create systems and methods for automatic maintenance. This invention provides such new and useful systems and methods.